February 13: Introduction to the 2018 Lent Project
INTRODUCTION TO LENT
In the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, at the Ash Wednesday service, there is an invitation that is read by the priest to the gathered community. In this invitation the people are reminded that the observance of Lent is a very ancient practice, in which the earliest Christian believers prepared themselves with a season of penitence and fasting. As well, converts to the Christian faith were prepared for baptism, and those who had been separated from the church because of sin, were “reconciled by penitence and forgiveness, and restored to the fellowship of the Church.” By doing so, everyone was reminded that pardon and absolution from sin was wholly dependent on the gospel of Jesus Christ and, thereby, everyone, during Lent, should “renew their repentance and faith.” This was to be done, we are told, by six holy practices: self-examination, repentance, prayer, fasting, self-denial, reading, and meditating on God’s holy Word.
Each of these six disciplines are ancient, venerable practices throughout Christian history that should be commended at all times for all people. These are not only holy practices for monks and nuns, but for all God’s people who desire to live in right relationship with God. In the words of poet George Herbert (d. 1633),
True Christians should be glad of an occasion
To use their temperance, seeking no evasion,
When good is seasonable (“Lent”).
And, of course, good is always seasonable but it is particularly so during Lent when Christian believers are asked to “use their temperance” so as to be ready to reflect well on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
For Lent is a season of preparation, not an end in itself. It exists and should be observed to prepare us for the life-altering actions of the incarnate Son of God. Thus, Lent is a Christological season, it is a season of focused attention on the gift of God to humankind in the person of Jesus who “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Phil. 2:6-7). And as a man he willingly walked the way of sorrows to die on the cross for the sins of all humankind. Lent is our own way of sorrows as we walk toward Golgotha in imitation of Christ, and we must walk in a disciplined manner.
The contemplative and imaginative nature of the arts solidifies and calls forth a self-examination appropriate for this special time in the church year. Through the layering of Scripture, prayers and the arts, The Lent Project offers a wonderful opportunity for daily reflection, an occasion for us to pray with our eyes and ears as well as our hearts and minds. It is of immense comfort to know that we are on this great Lenten pilgrimage with brothers and sisters in Christ from many sectors of Christendom! May we journey well together over the next eight weeks and with great anticipation prepare ourselves to ever more adore and magnify Christ on his “festival of festivals!”
As usual, we are most grateful for all of the illustrators, artisans, fine artists, videographers, poets, authors, composers and musicians who have contributed to this project. The multiplicity of styles, cultures, and wide range of denominations represented, creates a full-bodied meditation on the marvelous things that God has done and is doing in the hearts and lives of those who seek him. We are also most grateful to those readers who have contributed financially to this unusual endeavor. It is your support that continues to makes these projects possible.
Our team has spent dozens of hours culling through hundreds of musical compositions and works of art and poetry in an attempt to bring a heartfelt worship experience to our participants. The CCCA would like to thank the four curators for this year’s Lent project: Dr. Matt Jenson for his video introduction ot the Lent Project, Dr. Greg Peters for his work on selecting the scriptures, poet Christopher Davidson for selecting all the poetry, artist Betty Spackman for curating the artwork, and Rachel Glazener for selecting the music for the project. Additionally, we have provided resources under the “About” tab located next to the “Devotional” tab, that give you biographical information on the artists, poets, composers, and musicians used in the Project, as well as lyrics, song/composition titles, and artwork information.
Alternate Version of Lent Introduction Video with Sub-titles.